Cavani, Pazzini doubtful for Inter-Napoli showdown

28 September 2011 05:05

Napoli's Edinson Cavani and Inter Milan's Giampaolo Pazzini are both doubtful for Saturday's Serie A meeting between the two clubs after suffering ankle injuries on Champions League duty on Tuesday.

Cavani limped off in the second-half of Napoli's 2-0 win against Villarreal -- in which he scored the second goal from the penalty spot -- with an ankle sprain.

Meanwhile Pazzini was forced off four minutes into the second-half of his team's 3-2 victory at CSKA Moscow -- in which he also scored -- with what his club later confirmed as a "sprained left ankle."

Neither club has yet confirmed how long the players will be out but it seems highly unlikely that they will be fit enough to feature in Saturday's game at the San Siro.

Cavani, who has already scored three times in Serie A and twice in the Champions League this season, could be replaced in the Napoli attack by either Giuseppe Mascara or former Inter man Goran Pandev.

New Inter coach Claudio Ranieri -- who has won his first two games since replacing Gian Piero Gasperini -- will be able to call on Diego Forlan and Luc Castaignos, neither of whom are in Inter's squad for the Champions League.

Ranieri could also promote Mauro Zarate to his starting line-up after the Argentine came off the bench to score the winner in Moscow.